Automatic air-valve for radiators.



No. 658,368. Patented Se t. 25 I900 F. A. HEADSON. p

AUTOMATIC AIR VALVE FOB RADIATORS.

(Application filed May 13, 1899.)

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NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. HEADSON, OF LAFAYETTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF O NE-HALF TO LEO POTTLITZER, HERMAN POTTLITZER, JULIUS POTTLITZER, AND MAX POTTLITZER, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC AIR-VALVE FOR RADIATORS.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,368, dated September 25, 1900.

Application filed May 13, 1899. Serial No. 716,734. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. HEADSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lafayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Automatic Air-Valve for Radiators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to air-exhaust valves for steam or hot water radiators and like devices, and especially to that class of such valves which are automatically operated by expansion or flotation,or both, to permit of the escape of air from the radiator and also prevent the escape of steam or water therefrom.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong, cheap, reliable, effective, and quick-acting valve mechanism of this class; and with this object in view my invention consists in the improved valve mechanism hereinafter fully described, the particular points of novelty therein being specifically set forth in the claims.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention most nearly appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a valve mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention, the parts being in the normal positions when the radiator is cool. Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view with the valve closed by flotation, the float being raised by Water in the shell. Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view with the valve closed by the expansion of liquid in the hollow base. Fig. 4 is a transverse horizontal sectional view on the broken line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view on the broken line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a form of connection with the radiator sometimes necessary. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View taken at right angles to the section illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

Like numerals of reference mark the same parts, Wherever they occur, in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 7 indicates a hollow base upon which the work ing parts are supported, in which is a chamber 3 to contain some highly-expansible liquid to be supplied through an opening closed by threaded plug 9. A channel 10 leads vertically through the base 7 and through a nozzle l1, exterior-1y threaded for connection with a radiator-pipe 12. Au open-top cylinder 13 projectsupward from the center of the chamber 8 into a tubular chamber 14, formed centrally in the bottom of a hollow cylindrical float 15, located centrally in the chamber 16 of main shell or cylinder 17. A piston with expanding rings 19 is fitted in the cylinder 13 at the lower end of a piston-rod 20, which carries a spring 21 at its upper end in contact with the. top of recess 14.

Upon the top of the tubular chamber 14 rests a disk 23, which forms the base of a valve-stem 24, which extends through the reinforced center 25 of the float 15 into a hollow screw-plug 26, threaded into the neck 27 of the shell or cylinder 17 and provided with valve-seat 28 and'air-passage 29. Apackingring 30 in the neck'27 and around screw-plug 26 is compressed by a gland 31, threaded on the end of the screw-plug, and an outer cap 32 is threaded on the upper end of neck and provided with an air-outlet 33. An open ended pipe 34 leads through channel 10 up one side of chamber 16 and down the other in grooves 35 in the sides of float 15 and has an upturned end 36. In positions wh ere for lack of room the valve cannot be turned to thread the nozzle 11 into the radiatorpipe I use a ground-joint union, as in Fig. 6, consisting of a thimble 37, having annular flange 38, passed through hollow nut 39 and swiveling thereon, said nut engaging the threaded end of nozzle 11, as clearly shown.

The operation of my invention may be described as follows: The radiator being cool and full of air and the parts being in their normal positions, as shown in Fig. 1, steam let into the radiator will be condensed and the air will pass through pipe 34 and channel 5 it and effectually preventing the escape of the water. There being now no further pressure through the valve the Water will run back into the radiator and be drained out through the drain or return pipe usually provided. As the water recedes into the radiator a partial vacuum is formed in the chamber 16, and air or steam will be drawn into said chamber through pipe 34, thus releasing the valve and permitting more air to escape until the steam reaches the base 7 and heats and expands the liquid therein, forcing the piston upward,with piston-rod 20 and spring 21, against the top 22 of the recess in the bottom of the float, causing the float to rise and close the valve against the escape of air, water, or steam until the radiator again cools sufliciently to let the liquid in the base contract and permit the float to drop back again. i The air-tube 34 acts as a release-tube to prevent the "alve becoming air bound.

With hot-water radiators the water will rise in chamber 16 until the float rises and thus closes the valve, and when the water in the radiator cools it will still hold the valve-steam to its seat and prevent the escape of water. Should the water at any time fall in the radiator below the valve, the float will drop, open the valve, and permit the escape of air until the water again rises high enough to raise the float and close the valve.

It will be seen from the foregoing that my improved valve mechanism is entirely automatic and self-regulating in the performance of its functions of permitting the escape of air and preventing the escape of steam or Water, requiring no attention whatever and avoiding all necessity of drip-pans to catch the water of condensation.

While I have illustrated and described what I consider to be the best means now known to me for carrying out my invention, I do not wish to be understood as restricting myself to the exact forms and constructions shown, as many slight changes therein or variations therefrom might suggest themselves to the ordinary mechanic, all of which would be clearly included within the limit and scope of my invention.

1. In an automatic air-valve mechanism,

the combination with a hollow base, for containing an expansible liquid, a shell or cylinder mounted thereon and provided with an air-passage in its upper end having a valveseat, of a float in the shell, a valve-stem carried by the float and projecting into the airpassage, an open-ended cylinder rising from the hollow base, a piston therein adapted to rest on the expansible liquid, and a pistonrod from the piston, bearing under the float, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the shell or cylinder, having a constricted neck, a hollow screwplug threaded therein and provided with a valve-seat; a float in the shell, having an upwardlyextendin g recess in its bottom ,a valve stem resting on the top of said recess and passing through the top of the float and into the valve-seat, a hollow base supporting the shell, an open cylinder extending upward from the base into the recess in the float, a piston in said cylinder, a piston-rod project ing up therefrom, and a spring on the upper end of the piston-rod in. contact with the top of the recess of the float, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic air-valve mechanism, the combination of a base provided with a chamber for the reception of an expansible liquid and having a central cylindrical passage leading from said chamber, said base being provided with a passage thercthrough adapted to communicate with a radiator, of a shell mounted on the base having an air-passage in its upper end, a float carrying a valve adapted to close the air-passage by a rise of the water in the shell, said float having a central vertical tubular chamber at the lower end ,thereof, in line with the cylindrical passage in the base, a piston slidable in the latter and a rod projecting from the piston into the chamber of the float, whereby the valve carried by the float will be caused to open and close the air-passage from the shell by the contraction and expansion of the liquid contained in the base, substantially as described.

FRANK A. HEADSON.

Witnesses:

A. ORTH BEHM, F. O. EVANS. 

